


Computer Skills

by Benedicthiddleston



Category: Adventures in Odyssey
Genre: Chicago, Computer Science, Gen, Post DBD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-10
Updated: 2017-09-10
Packaged: 2018-12-26 03:08:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12050025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Benedicthiddleston/pseuds/Benedicthiddleston
Summary: Richard finally got his degree, but because he’s a known criminal, it has been very hard to get a job in his field. Luck just has it that the tables will turn in his favor very soon.





	Computer Skills

**Author's Note:**

> Just putting all my good fanfics on AO3 - this was on tumblr, hidden away. More a prelude to my AIO novel that I haven't touched in a few years. One day I'll get back to it. Writing is an art when it is a hobby.

_“We will contact you if we believe you are the right fit for the job.”_

It was the same words every time, even if they were phrased slightly different each time. Potential employers always gave him that tight smile, never reaching their eyes, as they shook hands, his resume and cover letter already metaphorically in the trash.

His background was not a shining example. The law dictated he must report his convictions and his jail time. And while it did not stop him from applying, and employers were obligated to state it wouldn’t bar him from employment if he were the right choice, he knew it was always a black mark on his talents. He worked well with computers, studied them religiously in high school and college, and had made a few programs and even a special code in his lifetime so far. But it didn’t matter – his tarnished record was all potential employers ever saw. He was lucky to get an interview now and then, but he never, ever ended up with the job.

He sighed, rubbing his eyes. They were tired from staring at the computer for so long day after day after day. He had been applying to multiple jobs, but he knew it was useless. He had just lost his minimum wage job due to the economy (that’s what his boss had said, and while Richard believed him, he knew it was because he was the lowest on the totem pole as it was with his criminal history). He needed another job to keep afloat, to at least eat and pay rent. And what better than to have a computer science job? Something, anything to do with computers. His mind was going insane. 

“Just one miracle. Just one, please,” he muttered, shutting down the computer. He needed sleep. And a worthwhile job.

* * *

He’d gone out for a walk later the next day, silently mulling over his predicament. It was all that was taking up his time lately, his lack of a job and his increasing anxiety over using his tools in the field. He knew, financially anyway, that he could last with what he had saved up so far, but it would mean not buying the new laptop he wanted. He needed better technology. He was lucky to have an apartment, a cell phone. He didn’t need a car – public transportation was good enough for him at that time. But he needed a better job. One that suited his skill set and wouldn’t kick him to the curb the second the economy fluctuated. It was like an intangible dream – one he wasn’t sure he would achieve.

It was just his luck when he walked to the nearest Apple store to drool over his dream laptop that the pretty, golden haired woman outside would stop him with a flier. “Ever heard of the Unbreakable Program Contest?”

He gave her a perplexed look. “No.”

“You look like a computer-y guy. This company, Motherboard Computer Services, holds this annual contest to see if the brightest computer minds around can break her unbreakable program. No one has done it in over six years. It’s a free contest and anyone can join. It’s this coming Sunday. You into computers?”

He nodded, taking the flier to read it more carefully. “Yeah, I’m a bit of a computer guy.”

“Then this contest would be perfect for you. Apparently the prize, which hasn’t ever been claimed, changes every year. This year they are upping the prize money to ten thousand dollars, along with a few techno gadgets. Laptop, tv, the works.”

He wanted to laugh. “Hmm, I guess I’ll have to try it out.”

“Good luck! I hope to see you there.” And the strange pretty golden haired woman disappeared.

He shook his head, folding up the flier to save for later. It would be an interesting challenge to take on.  _An unbreakable program, huh?_

* * *

Three days later, Richard Maxwell was breathing hard as he stepped into the computer store on 23rd Street in Chicago. He had run from the bus stop, hoping he wasn’t late. He had dressed in slacks and a neatly pressed shirt, hoping to make an impression if he needed to. The money would be helpful. 

Inside, thirteen other geeky – and they looked it too – guys and three geeky girls stood milling around the store indicated on the flier given to Richard. He assumed not everyone in the store were participants, only because the store was having a half-off sale on certain electronics and their accessories.

The same pretty golden haired woman stepped out of an office nearby, smiling as she saw the crowd. He watched her carefully as she walked over to the cash register, whispering with the attendant. He was, thankfully, in the right place.

A few minutes later, she stepped around the counter, smiling at the group. “Welcome to this year’s annual Unbreakable Program Contest. We have a computer room in back where each of you will be allowed to attempt to break the Unbreakable Program created by the C.E.O. of Motherboard Computer Services. For the past six years, Motherboard Computer Services has been looking for the next computer genius. While it would seem Microsoft and Apple have the game going on around the world, Motherboard has been creating innovate new technology right here in Chicago. This contest and the philosophy behind Motherboard are not broadcast to the world, unfortunately. The C.E.O. likes a family atmosphere. So, she made the Unbreakable Program and calls geeks, nerds, and the odd computer technology-gifted individual from around the Chicago area to attempt to break her program. It has yet to be broken. You are here because you believe you have what it takes to break the code. I wouldn’t set the bar too high.”

The crowd snickered. Richard stayed quiet. He just wanted to see what he was getting into.

“I would like each of the participants to sign your name on this sheet of paper and then we will go back to the computer room. I will be overseeing the contest. The time limit is from the starting time of two pm until close of the computer store, which is at nine pm. You have seven hours to try to crack the Unbreakable Program without help of the internet or other technology. Please turn your cell phones, tablets, and laptops off and leave them in the care of someone you trust. If you don’t have anyone to hold them for you, I can. My name is Erica.”

Everyone in the store made a mad dash for the counter to sign up. There were technically thirty spots and only about seventeen participants, but that didn’t matter for the crowd. 

Except Richard. He patiently stood in line and waited to write his name down. He turned off his phone and handed it to Erica. 

She smiled. “I am glad to see you made it.”

He grinned. “Thank you for inviting me.”

A few minutes later, all seventeen participants were seated in the computer room at their own individual computer, awaiting the signal to start. The screen before them was blank. The program would start up as soon as they pushed the start up button on the tower beside them.

Erica took a seat in the middle of the room at a small desk, a case of water at her feet. “You have seven hours to attempt to crack the Unbreakable Program. You may take breaks at your leisure, and there is water here so you don’t get dehydrated. Good luck, fellow computer nerds.

“You may start.” 

* * *

Twenty minutes into the contest, Erica gave a sweeping glance at the computer screens. All of them looked the same – which she expected. No one had gotten past the first hurtle. That’s why it was an Unbreakable Program.

Except –  _what? Is that – what?_  She had to blink and look at a particular screen twice, noticing it did not look the same at the others. It was different – very different, in fact. With a look of awe on her face, she stepped up behind the individual working at the very different computer screen and she gave it a good look, making sure she was seeing it correctly.

_They have it! They BROKE IT!_

She looked down at the individual and was both unsurprised and surprised to find it was her Apple store find – the man who called himself Richard.   
“Looks like you’ve made good progress, Mr. Maxwell.”

“Hmm? Oh, huh, I guess. I’m not sure I’ve gotten to the heart of the program yet. I mean, what exactly are we doing at this point? Because-“

She put a hand on his shoulder. “I am curious if you would come with me into my office. No worries, the program will still be here.” She smiled at him as he looked up, his perplexed look back again.

“Um, okay.”

Most of the other participants were too busy focused on their own programs to notice as Erica led Richard to the office nearby. 

She gestured to a nearby chair. “Have a seat. I have a phone call to make.”

His face was perpetually confused as he took the offered seat, wondering if he had just failed epically. He would have. Everyone else had been on – on the screen before he’d managed to erase three fourths of the code and fix the damaged code. 

_Wait, did I just… break the unbreakable program?_

It hadn’t even been difficult. It had been so obvious. He had just kept going, wondering if it was going to get any harder. But as he moved to the next screen, it hadn’t seemed damaged and at that point he had just kept going, adding pieces and configuring systems.

Erica’s voice invaded his thoughts as her words concreted the fact he knew he’d broken the unbreakable program.

“Hey, yeah, it’s me. Yeah, you know how I said I thought I had a keeper? You owe me like, five vodka cranberries at this point, because he did it. He broke the program. Oh, he was fixing up the next screen. Honey, we found our genius.”  
Genius? Oh, no, come on. I am not one. I… huh?

Erica laughed. “Okay, yup, I’ll fill him in. I will write the check. You get to discuss the electronics. Tomorrow? Okay, I’ll tell him. Yup. I know, this is so exciting! You have the next Bill Gates, girl! Okay, okay, talk to you later.” The call ended and Erica set her phone on the desk. 

She smiled again. “You have an interview with Chelsea Erins at eleven thirty tomorrow.”

“All because of – what? Beating the Unbreakable Program?”

“Yes. Ms. Erins has been searching for someone likeminded. You see, while Bill Gates and Steve Jobs equally have brilliant minds and hire and utilize brilliant likeminded people, Ms. Erins searches for someone above that. She created the Unbreakable Program with the help of a few select individuals. She’ll probably ask you how you did it, especially since she knows of how I ran into you. She knows you didn’t cheat. She wants to get inside that mind. You are, without a doubt, Mr. Maxwell, a genius with an extremely bright mind.”

“She’s… she won’t want me.”

Erica shook her head. “Oh, believe me; she’s going to want you. She doesn’t want an application. She already knows what you can do-“

“I’ve been to jail. She’s not exactly going to just accept me as her genius poster boy for her company.”

“I don’t think that’ll stop her from interviewing you, let alone hiring you. Now, I have a check to write out to you for ten thousand dollars. After your interview tomorrow, considering it will be a slam dunk in hiring you, she will get you set up with the job and your new electronic toys. Seeing as the prize for beating that program just kept increasing since no one was winning.”

He had no idea what to say. Money? A job? All for what – fixing a few pieces of code? “I…”

“Speechless? I would think so. Let me get my pen.”

* * *

He’d stared at the check for over an hour as it sat on the counter in his kitchen, his mind turning over and over again on the how, the why, and the many more confusing questions. He shook his head as he smiled and let it drop, his sigh quiet and forlorn. 

Richard sat on the lone armchair in his so-called living room and shook his head again. “How is this my life?”

_Ten thousand dollars is all mine.  
_

_Wow._

* * *

Computer science – that’s what his degree said. Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from The University of Chicago. Eight long years in the making – plus a few petitions and pleas. He’d randomly cracked an impossible program of code and had won ten thousand dollars and a job interview with the CEO of Motherboard Computer Services. The check had been placed in a bank account and the only thing he hoped happened to it was that is thrived on interest. He planned to continue living in his poorly furnished one room, one bath apartment, continue walking to work as he had no car, and well – he hoped he had a job soon. 

So why was Richard W. Maxwell terrified to have an interview with a computer repair company? He tugged at his collar, feeling flustered. The last time he had been in a suit he had been at his, thankfully, last parole hearing. If he had failed, he would have gone back to jail. But he had passed and now only had a record to his name – no more parole hanging over his head. That had been over three years before. He had then cracked down on getting a CS degree. 

Now he sat waiting for the head of Motherboard Computer Services, Chelsea Erins, to call him back. He was good at his work. Computers and programs were his passion. He got A’s in every computer class. He graduated with a 3.91 GPA. He was just scared his record would hold him back.

His application must have impressed – or lack of application, seeing as all he had done was fix a few simple lines of code. But hey, he had an interview.

“Mr. Maxwell?” The secretary, with the pale blue eyes, tiny nose, and bright orange-red hair in a bun, called, standing from her chair.

He smiled, standing, his hand leaving the arm rest last. He knew his face was red. Somehow this was worse than his trial.

“Ms. Erins will see you now. Just down that hall,” she pointed towards her right, to his left, “and the fourth door on the left.”

Richard nodded thanks and willed his feet, his legs, to work. He got himself down the hall, found the right door, and knocked.

“Mr. Richard Maxwell,” came a stern, female voice. “Please, come on in.”

Richard smiled as he entered, his portfolio from school under his arm, his other hand held out for a handshake. He’d had interviews before, but all had gone poorly. His record was his mistake. They shook hands and she asked him to sit. 

He took her in as she settled herself. Deep brown eyes, beautiful smile, and brown, flowing, curly hair tied with a barrette. And this was the woman who owned and operated Motherboard Computer Services. She was powerful.

“Mr. Maxwell, pleased to meet you. I am Chelsea Erins, CEO. Do tell me why you would like to join my dedicated and hard working computer-knowledgeable staff?”

Richard had thought over this long and hard. He smiled. “You have a well-respected company, Ms. Erins. You aren’t failing and you have good work ethic. I am skilled and knowledgeable in the world of computer science. I know code in every direction, doing it while blindfolded and unable to hear.”

“You broke my unbreakable program. Tell me how.”

Richard shrugged. “I noticed that a few lines of code were missing in certain spots. I followed the pattern of the rest of the code to fill in what was missing. I deleted most of the original code and then implemented my own special code and it brought up the next screen.”

“So you have been making your own code? During school or on your own time?”

“Six and a half years ago I was helping out a few acquaintances and together we devised a way to fix a broken machine that used a good amount of code. Along with school projects and other personal endeavors, my own code formed.”

Chelsea nodded. “Over the past twenty four hours, I have taken the liberty of looking you up, Mr. Maxwell. Your bachelors in Computer Science, years of classes under your belt from both Campbell County Community College and the University of Chicago. A few odd jobs, but nothing exactly concrete. Your background is – surprising, but not a deterrent. You seem a very bright individual, considering you have been the only one in six years to beat my unbreakable program.” There was a pause and Chelsea sighed. “We all know there is an elephant in the room, Mr. Maxwell. I’m sure you have gotten rejection after rejection due to your conviction, your time in jail, and being on parole up until three years ago. But I don’t care about your felony. Arson is the least of my worries. And computer related crimes actually intrigue me. It means you know your stuff, which is very much assured by your work and your degree. You have a degree, good grades, and a very smart brain. Your crimes don’t hinder my employment of you. Which is why I would like to offer you the job. I need someone like you in my company.”

Richard blinked. “You’re giving me the job now? Wait – you are really giving me the job?”

Chelsea leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. She smiled wide, nodding. “I’d say that would be a yes, Mr. Maxwell. I don’t just throw away the greatest asset in the history of my company. You will have to show me how you fixed that code with your own special hand. I could learn a thing or two from you, much to my own chagrin.”

Richard smiled and gulped. “Thank you, thank you. I just – of course. No one – no one has been this generous. Or kind. I find it hard to – grasp.”

“Well, grasp fast, Mr. Maxwell. You start Monday morning. I want you in my office Monday morning and I will train you myself. You’ll repair a full range of electronics, create new technology and code, and be a trusted individual within my company. We get to know our customers. Their computers and electronics are their lives. We care. And I know you won’t disappoint. Now go talk to Sara, secretary at the front, whom you met earlier. She will get you set up – office, name badge, the works.”

Richard stood, reaching out to shake her hand again. “Thank you. For everything.”

Chelsea’s genuine smile was offered and she shooed him out of the room.


End file.
